One in twenty (5 percent) even admitted to having an extra marital affair and 16 percent have sworn at a stranger in the street after a minor disagreement.

The 'good v bad' study, which was carried out by online casino playojo.com also revealed women claim they are more likely to have a dark side than men (61 percent).

In fact, a sinister one in ten (11 percent) of the 1,500 adults polled said they have a dark side that no one knows about.

Yesterday a spokesperson for playojo.com casino said: "On the whole the research shows most people consider themselves to be good person - but we all have a tendency to go off piste from time to time.

"The research highlighted that most people are aware of their weaknesses whether that be telling a few fibs, losing our temper or snooping at something we shouldn't.

"No one can be perfect all the time and we are all capable of behaving badly when tired, stressed or under pressure.

"We realised there was a level of distrust among players in the online casino industry and we pledged to give them a more rewarding and fairer alternative.

"At PlayOJO.com we've re-written the rules for online gaming We give players back control of their money with no sneaky terms and conditions in the small print. We don't have wagering requirements and we give money back on every bet, win or lose. In fact, we're not bad for an online casino."

To keep our dark side in check more than two thirds (67 percent) of the population felt they need the occasional chance to misbehave.

And nearly two thirds (64 percent) of respondents said they find people who are 'holier than thou' a bit boring and felt it was good to have an edgier side.

High stress levels and a bad temper were the most common weaknesses of those polled with a quarter complaining that money was their Achilles heel.

Telling lies, the opposite sex and alcohol were also listed as common character flaws the survey found.

A quarter of the adults polled (24 percent) said they have suffered life changing consequences as a result of being badly behaved and 39 percent said they often felt guilty after getting up to something they shouldn't.

Nearly half of Brits said they often come across as sweetness and light but harbour vicious thoughts about people they dislike.